Miniaturized extensible and retractable pen



March 23, 1965 J. B. POMPA 3,174,461

MINIATURIZED EXTENSIBLE AND RETRACTABLE PEN Filed May 2. 1963 Fig. 4

INVENTORT BY 3m Joseph B. P ompa United States Patent 3,174,461 MINIATURIZED EXTENSIBLE AND RETRACTABLE PEN Joseph B. Pompa, Anaheim, Calif. (79 Furlong Road, Rochester 23, N.Y.) Filed May 2, 1963, Ser. No. 277,649 3 Claims. (Cl. 120-1) The present invention relates to a novel miniaturized writing implement, more particularly, a ball-point pen which is expressly and suitably designed and adapted to be carried in readiness for use in either the transverse hingelike fold or one of the several article containing pockets of a conventional adult-side wallet.

It is a matter of common knowledge that most adults in the present day business world carry a clip-equipped and consequently ready-to-use fountain pen on the person. The average man perhaps carries his pen in his dress coat or shirt pocket as the case may be and, as a general rule, the average woman keeps a pen on hand in her customarily used handbag. Every now and again the pen user will forget to transfer the pen from one coat to another or accidentally leave it at home. To say the least this simple but sometimes perplexing mistake will turn out to frustrate the business-like person who may, under the circumstances, find it necessary to have a pen to write with for one purpose or another. It was the solution of this widespread problem which gave rise to the incentive which, in turn, has resulted in the objectives here to provide pen users with a practical but miniaturized ball point or an equivalent pen or writing implement which is such that it may be availably carried in ones wallet.

To the ends desired the present inventive concept has to do with a wallet pen which is necessarily of compact or miniaturized design and construction in order that it may be placed and fitted with requisite nicety into a wallet, that is, seated or nested in the interior of the fold of the half-sections of the wallet or clipped, if preferred, in one of the available item or article containing pockets which are usually found on the interior overlapping or facing surfaces of the half-sections of the wallet. Trial and error resulting from repeated tests has shown that the greatest outside diameter of the wallet pen should not and probably cannot exceed of an inch in diameter.

The invention also features a wallet pen for the stated purposes which is characterized by telescopically connected component parts, for example, a pair of barrel sections (one the forward section and the other the rearward section) the latter provided with an extending sleeve or tube for coupling the two sections together telescopingly whereby to not only provide the prerequisite diameter dimensions but also to provide a pen which is substantially two and three-quarters of an inch in length when retracted and stored in the wallet and is approximately four and one-half inches when fully extended, the outside dimension being three-sixteenths of an inch as above suggested.

Persons conversant with the state of the art to which the invention relates are aware, manifestly, that the idea of producing or devising extensible and retractible fountain pens is not in and of itself new that, as a matter of fact, pens have been perfected which are appropriately designed and adapted for use either in a handbag to take up less space or in a relatively shallow shirt pocket. On the other hand it is apparently new and novel in the line of endeavor under advisement to provide a spare or an emergency-type miniaturized wallet pen having the characteristics stated and with the facilities required to proice vide a feasible, simple and economical telescoping or extensible and retractible wallet pen.

In carrying out the principles of the present invention the barrel comprises an outer cylindrical section and an inner complemental cylindrical section with their adjacent ends abutting each other when the pen is retracted and stored in readiness for use. The inner barrel section is shorter than the outer section and is provided on the interior thereof with a tubular member or sleeve a substantial portion of which projects beyond a cooperating end of the barrel section and constitutes the means for telescopically joining the two barrel sections together and achieving the required rigidity.

The end of the barrel which is attachable to the garment or wallet as the case may be is provided with a relatively small resilient pocket-clip having an eye which is held in place by the plug portion of a vented plug which is fitted into the intended end of the barrel section.

The invention also features a ring-like thimble or bushing which is mounted on the forward end portion of the insertable and removable ink containing cartridge unit and which itself is provided with an enlarged collar portion constituting a shoulder and which abuts the forward writing end of the main barrel section in a manner to be more particularly described.

Then, too, novelty is predicated on the fact that the cartridge, that is the major portion thereof is substanially confined within the bore of the outer barrel section, the end opposite to the writing end, that is remote from the ball point, being slightly flared and increased in cross-section to accommodate a reversely constricted or tapering end on the aforementioned coupling sleeve whereby to thus provide a satisfactory limit stop which functions to prevent the barrel sections from being separated too far and accidentally pulling apart.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a view in perspective of a wallet-type miniaturized ball point or equivalent concealable pen constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention and showing the same contracted;

FIGURE 2 is a view showing the barrel sections extended to assume their extreme separated relationship, this being the relationship when the parts provide a pen for writing purposes;

FIGURE 3 is a View on an exaggerated scale with parts in section and elevation which is taken approximately on the plane of the lengthwise section line 3-3 of FIGURE 2 looking in the direction of the arrows and illustrating all of the essential component parts;

FIGURE 4 is a greatly exaggerated sectional and elevational view the purpose of which is to bring out the construction and arrangement of the featured limit stop between the main barrel sections and sleeve carried by the auxiliary barrel section;

FIGURE 5 is a cross-section on the transverse section line 5-5 of FIGURE 4; and

FIGURE 6 is a view in perspective showing a wallet and the manner in which the wallet pen is positioned in the hinging folds thereof for available use.

With reference now to the views of the official drawing and particularly concerning FIG. 6 the numeral 8 designates a conventional wallet which is used here to 3. emphasize the nature of the inventive concept from a combination as well as a subcombination standpoint. The wallet may be regarded as a conventional-type wallet embodying half-sections and 12 and inwardly disposed side surfaces having opposing pockets 14 and 16 which are ordinarily in overlapped relationship when being used. The junctional web-like portions 18 and 20 constitute the component portions which in turn define the hinging fold. It is in the interior of this fold that the novel miniaturized wallet emergency pen is usually positioned, concealed and is ready for practical use. The body of the pen, which may be described as a barrel, is made up of barrel or body sections the longer outermost one of which is denoted at 22 and the complemental shorter inner section at 24. The lower or forwardmost portion of section 22 is knurled or otherwise formed as at 26 to facilitate gripping and using and the remainder of the surface is smooth as at 28. There is a shoulder 30 at one end and a similar shoulder 32 (see FIG. 3) at the other open end. The shorter barrel section is also provided with a shoulder 34 which is adjustable toward and from the shoulder 30 by way of a connecting or coupling tube or sleeve 36 which is actually a companion part of the barrel section 24. The major portion 38 telescopes into the bore of the barrel section 22 in the manner illustrated in FIG. 3. The forward end is tapered or reduced gradually in cross-section as at 40 to provide a friction-grip which cooperates with the correspondingly tapered portion 42 of the ink containing cartridge 44. This cartridge is confined or substantially so within the bore of the barrel section 22 as clearly brought out in FIG. 3. Except for the tapered end portion which coacts with the tapered end 49 this ink cartridge 44 may be said to be of a conventional-type. This is to say the usual cylindrical body portion 46 thereof is charged with an appropriate grade of ball-point ink. The exposed end portion is reduced in cross-section as at 48 then tapered at 50 and provided with a ball-point 52. The upper end portion (upper in the views of the drawing) denoted at 54 (FIG. 3) is fitted telescopingly and frictionally into the bore of the upper barrel section 24 and terminates flush with the upper end of the barrel section and serves to accommodate the telescoping portion or plug 56 of the cap or head 58. This is a convex-type head and functions to hold the eye portion 60 of the pocket clip 62 in place. The convex head is denoted at 64 and 66 designates a passage which constitutes an air vent.

The ring-like thimble 68 tightly frictionally embraces the pen 46 (FIG. 3) and the exposed annulus 7 6 provides a stop shoulder which engages the coacting forward end of the barrel section 28. In addition, novelty is predicated on the ultra compact design in respect to pen length and diameter (absolutely necessary) and the fact that the herein disclosed design alone fulfills these requirements.

Analogous prior patents have an extensible handle portion external to the pen section of greater diameter. Since the pen section of the wallet-pen must not exceed /1s" diameter and also since this is about the smallest diameter that can be reasonably gripped with the human hand, it follows that the pen section must be of greater diameter no greater than The extensible handle portion must slide inside, not outside of the section 22.

In order to maintain the idea of minimum diameter the means 40 and 42 constitutes a novel stop, that is an adaptation which prevents the barrel sections 22 and 24 from separating beyond the point illustrated in FIGURE 3.

The wall thickness of the body or barrel sections must be limited in order to keep the total diameter approximately 7 Assuming that the ink cartridge diameter will be about .125 diameter, it can be deduced from studying the cross-sectional view of the pen that the wall thicknesses can only be about .016". No doubt metal tubing would have to be used in the construction of this pen to give sufficient strength with this wall thickness.

Press fits are used throughout because tube wall thicknesses are too thin to accommodate threads. It has been found that a removable plug to cover the ball point and obviate soiling from the pen is not necessary because some ball pen points and inks have been so improved that they do not leak. Also many inks are water washable.

It is believed that a careful consideration of the spec-'- ification in conjunction with the illustrative but not restrictive views of the accompanying drawing will enable the reader to obtain a clear and comprehensive understanding of the subject matter of the invention, the features and advantages, and the manner and best mode of using the same. Therefore, a more extended description is thought to be unnecessary.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A miniaturized ball point pen structurally and functionally adapted to be removably pocketed and concealed neatly in the usual fold of an adult-size folding wallet comprising: a relatively long open-ended forward barrel section having a predetermined outside diameter not exceeding 7 and a uniform open-ended bore, a thimble telescopingly press-fitted into the forward end of said bore, said thimble having an outstanding shoulder abutting the cooperating end of said forward barrel section, the bore of said thimble constituting a bushing for an ink cartridge, an ink cartridge disposed axially in the bore of said forward barrel section, said cartridge being of a transverse cross-section less than the corresponding cross-section of the bore of said forward barrel section, of a length less than the length of said forward barrel section, having its forward end portion press-fitted and frictionally retained in the bore of said thimble, the rearward end of said cartridge being gradually increased in cross-section and thus flared outwardly, terminating short of the rearward end of said forward barrel section and said outwardly flared portion providing a stop shoulder, a complemental rearward barrel section open at its ends, shorter in length than the length of said forward barrel section and also having a predetermined outside diameter not exceeding 7 the adjacent ends of said barrel sections being adapted to abut each other when they are disposed in end-to-end abutting relationship, an assembling and rigidifying open-ended sleeve of a length greater than the length of said rearward barrel section and shorter than said forward barrel section, the rearward end portion of said sleeve being press-fitted in the bore of the rearward barrel section and having its rearward end flush with the corresponding rearward end of said rearward barrel section, the major forward portion of said sleeve projecting beyond the forward end of said rearward barrel section, said projecting forward portion fitting telescopingly and slidingly into the bore of said forward barrel section and being concealed normally therein, the leading terminal end of said sleeve being reduced in cross-section and being adapted to surround and abut said stop shoulder when said sleeve is withdrawn from the forward barrel section and is oriented to assume its exposed usable position and relationship to said barrel sections, and a vented headed plug having its plug portion press-fitted into the rearward end of the bore of said sleeve.

2. The structure defined in claim 1 and in combination, a wallet gripping pen-retaining clip having a laterally directed eye portion resting atop the coacting rearward ends of said rearward barrel section and said sleeve and encircling said plug and interposed between the headed end of said plug and the coacting rearward ends of said sleeve and rearward barrel section.

3. The structure according to claim 1, and wherein said 1,827,619 10/31 Schroeder et al 120-9 X pen When fully retracted is 2%" in length and, when fully 2,603,186 7/52 Fisher l2042.4 X extended is at least 4 /2" in length. 2,788,825 4/57 Gluck 150-35 References Cited by the Examiner 5 FOREIGN PATENTS UNITED STATES PATENTS 498,098 3/29 Germany.

271,872 2/83 Knapp 120-9 300,693 6 /8 4 Collard JEROME SCHNALL, Primal y Examiner.

586,495 7/97 Hicks l209 LAWRENCE CHARLES, Examiner. 

1. A MINIATURIZED BALL POINT PEN STRUCTURALLY AND FUNCTIONALLY ADAPTED TO BE REMOVABLY POCKETED AND CONCEALED NEATLY IN THE USUAL FOLD OF AN ADULT-SIZE FOLDING WALLET COMPRISING: A RELATIVELY LONG OPEN-ENDED FORWARD BARREL SECTION HAVING A PREDETERMINED OUTSIDE DIAMETER NOT EXCEEDING 3/16" AND A UNIFORM OPEN-ENDED BORE, A THIMBLE TELESCOPINGLY PRESS-FITTED INTO THE FORWARD END OF SAID BORE, SAID THIMBLE HAVING AN OUTSTANDING SHOULDER ABUTTING THE COOPERATING END OF SAID FORWARD BARREL SECTION, THE BORE OF SAID THIMBLE CONSTITUTING A BUSHING FOR AN INK CARTRIDGE, AN INK CARTRIDGE DISPOSED AXIALLY IN THE BORE OF SAID FORWARD BARREL SECTION, SAID CARTRIDGE BEING OF A TRANSVERSE CROSS-SECTION LESS THAN THE CORRESPONDING CROSS-SECTION OF THE BORE OF SAID FORWARD BARREL SECTION, OF LENGTH LESS THAN THE LENGTH OF SAID FORWARD BARREL SECTION, HAVING ITS FORWARD END PORTION PRESS-FITTED AND FRICTIONALLY RETAINED IN THE BORE OF SAID THIMBLE, THE REARWARD END OF SAID CARTRIDGE BEING GRADUALLY INCREASED IN CROSS-SECTION AND THUS FLARED OUTWARDLY, TERMINATING SHORT OF THE REARWARD END OF SAID FORWARD BARREL SECTION AND SAID OUTWARDLY FLARED PORTION PROVIDING A STOP SHOULDER, A COMPLEMENTAL REARWARD BARREL SECTION OPEN AT ITS ENDS, SHORTER IN LENGTH THAN THE LENGTH OF SAID FORWARD BARREL SECTION AND ALSO HAVING A PREDETERMINED OUTSIDE DIAMETER NOT EXCEEDING 3/16", THE ADJACENT ENDS OF SAID BARREL SECTIONS BEING ADAPTED TO ABUT EACH OTHER WHEN THEY ARE DISPOSED IN END-TO-END ABUTTING RELATIONSHIP, AN ASSEMBLING AND RIGIDIFYING OPEN-ENDED SLEEVE OF A LENGTH GREATER THAN THE LENGTH OF SAID REARWARD BARREL SECTION AND SHORTER THAN SAID FORWARD BARREL SECTION, THE REARWARD END PORTION OF SAID SLEEVE BEING PRESS-FITTED IN THE BORE OF THE REARWARD BARREL SECTION AND HAVING ITS REARWARD END FLUSH WITH THE CORRESPONDING REARWARD END OF SAID REARWARD BARREL SECTION, THE MAJOR FORWARD PORTION OF SAID SLEEVE PROJECTING BEYOND THE FORWARD END OF SAID REARWARD BARREL SECTION, SAID PROJECTING FORWARD PORTION FITTING TELESCOPINGLY AND SLIDINGLY INTO THE BORE OF SAID FORWARD BARREL SECTION AND BEING CONCEALED NORMALLY THEREIN, THE LEADING TERMINAL END OF SAID SLEEVE BEING REDUCED IN CROSS-SECTION AND BEING ADAPTED TO SURROUND AND ABUT SAID STOP SHOULDER WHEN SAID SLEEVE IS WITHDRAWN FROM THE FORWARD BARREL SECTION AND IS ORIENTED TO ASSUME ITS EXPOSED USABLE POSITION AND RELATIONSHIP TO SAID BARREL SECTIONS, AND A VENTED HEADED PLUG HAVING ITS PLUG PORTION PRESS-FITTED INTO THE REARWARD END OF THE BORE OF SAID SLEEVE. 